The Political Thought of Plato and Aristotle

What it is

This is a 1906 book by Ernest Barker, published in New York by G. P. Putnam's Sons and in London by Methuen. It discusses the political views of Plato and Aristotle. The digital copy was made by the Internet Archive from a Rutgers University Library copy. The book has about 559 pages, with references and an index.

Why it matters

Barker was a fellow of Merton College, Oxford, and wrote as a modern scholar. His preface says that Aristotle had sat at Plato's feet and listened to his lectures. The book shows how early twentieth-century scholars read Plato's political ideas, especially in the Republic.

Look closer

• How does Barker explain Plato's political views, and how is his voice different from Plato's?
• Why does the author say that Plato's views needed explaining before Aristotle's could be introduced?
• What does a book from 1906 leave out about the readers and times in which it was written?